It doesn't take a lot of time or money to do something fun with your kids that will provide them with loads of learning along the way. Here are 10 show-stopping activities that you and your kid can do together with balloons! From hovercrafts to balloon-powered cars to super squirters, these fun activities will bring loads of laughter while incorporating some serious learning in the process. Here's how to get started:
- Make a Hovercraft! Here's a fun activity that will introduce your fourth grader to the concept of frictionless motion by constructing a hovercraft. A hovercraft is a vehicle that travels on a layer of compressed air just above any kind of land or water surface.
- Electro-Scope It Out! An electroscope is a simple device that measures static electricity, or the freely flowing electrical charges of the atmosphere. Static electricity is caused by friction, or something rubbing against something else.
- Build a Balloon Powered Car Explore some of today's big energy issues with your kids by putting on a jaw-dropping demonstration of an ultra-efficient air-powered car.
- Make Monster Balloons! These goofy goblins make great decorations, or monster pets perfect for pretend play. Decorating them also gives little hands some fine motor practice, strengthening their fingers for writing.
- Skewered Balloons! In fourth grade, young chemists study the makeup of different kinds of matter. Here's a scientific experiment that demonstrates the structural principles of polymer strands, which stretch the boundary of our definitions of liquid and solid. Be prepared for some laughs and gasps of delight as well!
- Yeast Science: Can Yeast Inflate a Balloon? Get to know yeast with this fun and simple science experiment. Learn what it likes to eat, and just how gassy it can get.
- Make a Super Squirter Don't waste your money buying a water squirter at a toy store. Encourage your child to learn about air pressure by helping him devise his own with a soda pop bottle and balloon. Get ready to get soaked!
- Play and ABC Balloon Game Try this chaotic balloon game inspired by The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss! Kids practice the alphabet while trying to keep 1, 2, 3, or even 26 balloons up in the air.
- Make a Mini Marshmallow Popper Looking for a fun new toy for your child? The Mini-Marshmallow Popper is easy to make, and you can probably find everything you need lying around your house. This project boosts fine motor skills and teaches kids about simple construction at the same time.
- Host a Balloon Olympiad The next time your kids are pent up inside because of bad weather, try hosting a Balloon Olympics! Easy on the pocketbook and simple to prepare, the Balloon Olympics can be played with one child or easily adapted for several.
These activities are perfect for keeping your child's mind and body active during the summer months when school's out.